Before They Make You Run

An affair with the police chief's wife leads to murder, and to an innocent man being blamed. Paul Kessler is hardly the first protagonist to be involved in a messy affair, or to be framed for a crime he didn't commit. What separates this book from so many similar titles, however, is the way in which he works his way towards proving his innocence. Instead of having to turn into a superhero to outsmart his ingenious enemies, Kessler simply turns the tables on realistically drawn, average cops-gone-bad. Through simple, clear thoughts and actions, Kessler is able to turn the tables in his favor. The writing is sharp, with little in the way of unnecessary detail. Kessler is an interesting character, and the bad cops are fleshed out well. There's a fair amount of action, all of which is realistic, with Kessler never turning into a Bruce Willis film character to win a shootout against ten baddies. Fast, well-paced, and well-written. This is a winner, one that I'd recommend to any crime fiction fan.

Thirty-five years old Paul Kessler is attracted to forty one years old Judge Carol Macy, who happens to be married to Police Chief Sam Clay. Circumstances soon lead to Paul and Carol having an affair. When Sam confronts Carol, she tosses in his face the knowledge of the young whores he visits complements of Police Lieutenant Greg Vannison. An angry Sam hits Carol who falls just as Greg arrived to witness the squabble; Carol is dead. Greg arranges for Carol's lover Paul to be considered the prime suspect. One of his goons, police officer Ray Miller, tries to kill Paul with the intent of making it look like suicide, but instead the rogue patrol officer is killed. Other incidents occur with Paul knowing that someone is trying to insure he take the fall for Carol's death without him having an opportunity to tell his side of the story. Though readers will empathize with Paul, the story line is owned by Vannison, an interesting protagonist who keeps one foot anchored inside the police precinct and another inside the criminal world. His actions whether allowing the mob to kill an informant or set up Paul for the fall while also being a family man makes him a unique character who brings freshness to a superb thriller. Harriet Klausner